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AbaLevi
1 Kwathi uDavida esemdala eseluphele, wabeka uSolomoni indodana yakhe ukuba abe yinkosi ko-Israyeli.
2 Wasehlanganisa bonke abakhokheli bako-Israyeli, labaphristi kanye labaLevi. 3 AbaLevi abaleminyaka esukela kwengamatshumi amathathu kusiya phezulu babalwa, inani lamadoda laba zinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu lasificaminwembili. 4 UDavida wasesithi: “Phakathi kwalaba, abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lane bazakhangela ukuqhutshwa komsebenzi wethempeli likaThixo kuthi abazinkulungwane eziyisithupha bazakuba yizikhulu labahluleli. 5 Abazinkulungwane ezine bazakuba ngabalindi bamasango kuthi abazinkulungwane ezine badumise uThixo ngamachacho lezigubhu engizigcinele lowomsebenzi.”
6 UDavida wehlukanisa abaLevi ngamaxuku kusiya ngamadodana kaLevi: uGeshoni, loKhohathi kanye loMerari.
AbakaGeshoni
7 Exukwini labakaGeshoni yilaba:
uLadani loShimeyi.
8 Amadodana kaLadani yila:
nguJehiyeli owokuqala, loZethami kanye loJoweli, bonke bebathathu.
9 Amadodana kaShimeyi yila:
nguShelomothi, loHaziyeli kanye loHarani, bonke bebathathu.
Laba babezinhloko zezindlu zenzalo kaLadani.
10 Lamadodana kaShimeyi yila:
nguJahathi, loZiza, loJewushi kanye loBheriya.
Laba kwakungamadodana kaShimeyi, bonke babebane.
11 UJahathi engowakuqala loZiza engowesibili, kodwa uJewushi loBheriya abazange babelamadodana amanengi, ngakho babalwa njengemuli yinye bahle baphiwa umsebenzi bendawonye.
AmaKhohathi
12 Amadodana kaKhohathi yila:
ngu-Amramu, lo-Izihari, loHebhroni kanye lo-Uziyeli, bonke babebane.
13 Amadodana ka-Amramu yila:
ngu-Aroni loMosi.
U-Aroni wehlukaniselwa ukunikela izinto ezingcwele kakhulu kuThixo, ukuze yena lamadodana akhe batshise impepha phambi kukaThixo lokumkhonza lokubusisa ngebizo lakhe kuze kube nininini. 14 Amadodana kaMosi inceku kaNkulunkulu abalwa ndawonye labesizwana sikaLevi.
15 Amadodana kaMosi yila:
nguGeshomu lo-Eliyezari.
16 Abosendo lukaGeshomu:
nguShubhayeli engowakuqala.
17 Abosendo luka-Eliyezari:
nguRehabhiya engowakuqala.
U-Eliyezari kazange abe lamanye amadodana kodwa amadodana kaRehabhiya ayemanengi kakhulu.
18 Amadodana ka-Izihari yila:
nguShelomithi engowokuqala.
19 Amadodana kaHebhroni yila:
nguJeriya engowokuqala, lo-Amariya engowesibili,
loJahaziyeli engowesithathu kanye loJekhameyamu owesine.
20 Amadodana ka-Uziyeli yila:
nguMikha engowakuqala lo-Ishiya owesibili.
AmaMerari
21 Amadodana kaMerari yila:
nguMahili loMushi.
Amadodana kaMahili yila:
ngu-Eliyezari loKhishi.
22 U-Eliyezari wafa engelamadodana: wayelamadodakazi wodwa. Amadodakazi endela kubafowabo, amadodana kaKhishi.
23 Amadodana kaMushi yila:
nguMahili, lo-Ederi kanye loJerimothi, bonke bebathathu.
24 Laba kwakungabosendo lukaLevi ngezindlu zabo, abazinhloko zezindlu njengokulotshwa kwamabizo lokubalwa kwabo ngamunye, okutsho ukuthi, abasebenzayo abaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu ababesebenza ethempelini likaThixo. 25 Ngoba uDavida wathi: “Njengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, enike abantu bakhe ukuthula lokuthi bazahlala eJerusalema kuze kube nininini, 26 abaLevi akusafanele bathwale ithabanikeli loba kuyini okusetshenziswa ezinkonzweni zalo.” 27 Njengeziyalezelo zikaDavida zokucina, abaLevi babalwa kusukela kwabaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu.
28 Umsebenzi wabaLevi wawungowokuncedisa inzalo ka-Aroni emsebenzini wethempeli likaThixo: ukugcina amaguma akhona; izindlu ezisemaceleni, ukuhlambulula zonke izinto ezingcwele lokwenza yonke imisebenzi endlini kaNkulunkulu. 29 Babephethe umsebenzi wesinkwa sokwahlukanisela ethaleni, ifulawa yomnikelo wamabele, lesinkwa esingelamvubelo, ukuxuba lokupheka isinkwa, lezilinganiso zonke zezisindo lobukhulu bakhona. 30 Njalo babemele beme ngezinyawo ekuseni nsuku zonke ukubonga lokudumisa uThixo. Kwakufanele benzenjalo lantambama, 31 lalapho kunikelwa iminikelo yokutshiswa kuThixo ngamaSabatha, emadilini okuThwasa kweNyanga, lakuyo yonke imikhosi emisiweyo. Babefanele bamsebenzele uThixo ngazozonke izikhathi ngenani elilingeneyo langendlela ababeyimiselwe.
32 Ngakho abaLevi bawenza umsebenzi wabo weThenteni lokuHlanganela, laseNdaweni eNgcwele, ngaphansi kwabafowabo abayisizukulwana sika-Aroni, emsebenzini wethempeli likaThixo.